Cable clamp



Oct. 29, 1963 B. BE EA 3,108,344

CABLE/{CLAMP Filed Noxr. 15, 1961 g =II1 &

a9 1 I g s; I 3/ INVENTOR. Barron. Befliea BY 7 I g 3 5.1L 4 7 7* ffornegs United States Patent 3,10s,s44 CABLE CLAMP Sarron Bethea, R O. Box 2262, Birmingham, Ala. Filed Nov. 15, 1961, Ser. No. 152,403 3 Claims. (Cl. 24-125) This invention relates to a clamp for a cable, such as a conductor, and more particularly to such a cable clamp in which a lifting eye is disposed on a keeper having a single U-bolt holding the keeper in gripping relation with a cable in the clamp.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cable clamp having a keeper fitting between side portions to grip a cable tightly in a cable groove between the side portions with an eye portion on the keeper adjacent one end thereof whereby the eye portion is in position to be easily engaged by the hook of a hot stick or the like.

A further object is to provide a keeper for a cable clamp in which a pair of upwardly extending shoulders are formed on the upper surface thereof joined by an arcuate surface for receiving a U-bolt with one of the shoulders being formed integrally with an eye member which terminates adjacent an end of the keeper which is desired to be elevated.

A further object of my invention is to provide a clamp of the character designated in which the eye member is mounted adjacent the end of the keeper nearest the end of the clamp which receives the cable whereby that end of the keeper is elevated as the eye is lifted to facilitate insertion of a cable into the clamp.

Heretofore in the art to which my invention relates, it has been thought that cable clamps which are worked under energized conditions had to be assembled with at least two U-bolts whereby the lifting eye therefor is spaced equidistant between the U-bolts. That is, it was believed that in order to lift the clamping unit, the eye had to be somewhere approximately in the center of the clamping unit. In view of the fact that it is not economical to mount an eye member adjacent the center of a single U-bolt for a clamp, a single U-bolt clamp having an eye has been considered impractical for use on energized power lines.

In accordance with my improved clamp, I not only mount a lifting eye on a single U-bolt clamp, but provide a clamp which operates in an improved manner whereby the cable may be inserted with a minimum of eifort. I accomplish this by providing a lifting eye adjacent one end of the keeper for the clamp whereby the lifting eye is offcenter relative to the keeper and the U-bolt. By providing the off-center lifting eye, the end or" the keeper adjacent thereto is held in a raised position relative to the other end thereof by merely lifting the eye, whereby the cable, such as a conductor, may be readily inserted. That is to say, the eye is preferably mounted adjacent the end of the keeper nearest the end of the clamp which receives the cable, whereby that end of the keeper is raised. The raised end of the keeper thus serves as a guide whereby the free end of the cable may be readily inserted. Heretofore, with centered lifting eyes, the hot stick had to be manipulated delicately so that the lifting eye balances the keeper to elevate the proper end or ends, as desired. It has been difficult to maintain the keeper in proper position for the reason that one end or the other of the keeper often falls downwardly into the cable groove. Accordingly, it sometimes happens that the wrong end of the keeper falls into the groove, thereby blocking the entrance of the B lddfid l Patented Oct. 29, 1%63 2 in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a cable clamp embodying features of my invention and showing a keeper holding a cable in the cable groove;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the cable clamp shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the keeper shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with the keeper being removed from the cable clamp; and,

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 44 of FIG. 1 showing the shape of the cable groove, the cable being omitted for the sake of clarity.

Referring to the drawing, I show a cable clamp indicated generally by the numeral 10. The clamp comprises a pair of generally parallel side portions 11 and 12 which are joined by a bottom seat portion 13 to form a cable groove for a cable indicated generally by the letter C. The bottom seat portion 13 has a generally V-shaped groove formed therein for receiving cable C. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the bottom seat portion 13 terminates a substantial distance inwardly of the rear ends of the side portions 11 and 12 to define an open space for passing the cable C, as shown in FIG. 1. Suitable openings 14 are provided in the side portions 11 and 12 adjacent the rear ends thereof for receiving a transverse pin 16. Pin 16 is adapted to be secured to a fixed support (not shown), in a manner well understood in the art, whereby the clamp 19, together with the end or" the cable C secured thereto, is supported.

Extending outwardly from side portions 11 and 12 are lugs 17 and 18 having openings 19 therethrough. Formed integrally with the side portion 11 is a laterally projecting member 22 which defines a pulling eye 23 which in turn is engaged by a suitable tool, not shown, whereby the clamp 16 may be held in position to insert cable C. The upper edges of the side portions 11 and 12 are provided with recesses 26 adjacent lugs 17 and 18 for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

A keeper indicated generally by numeral 27 fits between side portions 11 and 12 in position to engage the opposite side of cable C from the side thereof engaging the bottom seat portion 13. Keeper 27 has a pair of upwardly extending shoulders 28 and 29 thereon. Extending outwardly and laterally from each side of keeper 27 are projections 31- which are adapted to fit in the recesses 26 in side portions 11 and 12. An arcuate surface 32 connects shoulders 28 and 29 to form a seat for a U-bolt indicated generally by numeral 33. Formed integrally with the shoulder 29 is a loop-like member 34 which preferably terminates adjacent the end of keeper 27 to be elevated. A lifting eye 36 is thus formed which is off-set relative to the keeper and U-bolt 33.

U-bolt 33 is provided with threaded ends for receiving nuts 38 which in turn engage washers 39 positioned adjacent the lower surfaces of lugs 17 and 18 and thereby pull U-bolt 33 tightly against arcuate seat 32 on keeper 27. Projections 31 provide a relatively large bearing area for U-bolt 33 at the point where U-bolt 33 engages keeper 27 thereby to reinforce keeper 27 at the point adjacent the arcuate surface 32. After the U-bolt 33 is positioned within the arcuate seat 32, the upper end of the shoulder 28 is preferably deformed whereby it assumes the dotte' line position shown in FIG. 1. With the shoulder thus deformed the keeper 27 is secured to the U-bolt whereby they move as a unit as the lifting eye is raised. Accordingly, either or both ends of the keeper may be raised by exerting pressure on the off-set eye 36 in the desired direction.

From the foregoing it will be understood that I have provided an improved cable clamp. By providing a keeper with an off-set eye therein adjacent the end of the clamp which receives the cable, that end of the keeper is lifted whereby the free end of the cable is guided into clamping position between the keeper and the seat portion 13. That is, as the off-set eye 36 is lifted by a hot stick, or the like, the end of the keeper adjacent the eye 36 is lifted to facilitate insertion of the free end of the cable into the clamp between the keeper and the seat portion 13. By providing a single threaded U-bolt which fits over the keeper between the pair of shoulders and engages the arcuate surface therebetween with a snug fit, the keeper is forced firmly into engagement with the cable C. Accordingly, the keeper is of the type in which a single U-bolt is provided to secure the keeper tightly onto a cable in the cable clamp whereby a suitable hook or the like may be inserted in the lifting eye of the keeper to thereby lift the end of the keeper desired to be lifted so that a cable may be inserted between the keeper and the seat portion of the clamp, or removed therefrom.

While I have shown the cable C as being introduced adjacent the forward end of the clamp, it will be apparent that the cable may be inserted or removed from the other end of the clamp. It will also be apparent that the position of the keeper in the cable groove may be reversed.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a cable clamp, a body having a groove therein for receiving a cable, a keeper mounted for movement substantially perpendicular to and inwardly of said groove and having a generally straight line contact surface extending substantially parallel to and adapted to engage a cable in said groove, an eye member adjacent the end of said keeper which receives the cable, a U-bolt disposed to engage a portion of said keeper whereby the eye member is off-set relative to said U-bolt, and retaining means securing said U-bolt to said body.

2. In a cable clamp as defined in claim 1 in which the keeper is provided with an upwardly extending shoulder in spaced relation to the eye member and the U-bolt engages the keeper between said shoulder and the eye member.

3. In a cable clamp, a body having a clamping groove therein defined by a pair of spaced parallel side portions and a bottom seat portion connecting said side portions adjacent one end of the clamp, a keeper having a generally straight line contact surface of a size to fit over the bottom seat portion between said side portions and adapted to move substantially perpendicular to and to engage a cable in the cable groove, a pair of spaced upwardly extending shoulders on said keeper and joined by an arcuate surface, an eye member formed integrally with one of said shoulders adjacent the end of the keeper which receives the cable, a threaded U-bolt fitting over the keeper between the shoulders and engaging in snug relation the arcuate surface between the shoulders, and nuts on the ends of the U-bolt to pull the U-bolt tight against the keeper wherebv the keeper grips the cable in the cable groove.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,293,384 Edwards Feb. 4, 1919 1,407,477 Plimpton Feb. 21, 1922 1,722,000 Keator July 23, 1929 1,736,508 Plimpton Nov. 19, 1929 1,899,162 Lackner Feb. 28, 1933 2,884,476 Lock et al Apr. 28, 1959 2,946,108 Bethea July 26, 1960 2,980,378 Bethea Apr. 18, 1961 

1. IN A CABLE CLAMP, A BODY HAVING A GROOVE THEREIN FOR RECEIVING A CABLE, A KEEPER MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO AND INWARDLY OF SAID GROOVE AND HAVING A GENERALLY STRAIGHT LINE CONTACT SURFACE EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE A CABLE IN SAID GROOVE, AN EYE MEMBER ADJACENT THE END OF SAID KEEPER WHICH RECEIVES THE CABLE, A U-BOLT DISPOSED TO ENGAGE A PORTION OF SAID KEEPER WHEREBY THE EYE MEMBER IS OFF-SET RELATIVE TOI SAID U-BOLT, AND RETAINING MEANS SECURING SAID U-BOLT TO SAID BODY. 